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Why You Should Avoid Pirating Video Games

The triple-A games of 2018 such as Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Spider-Man cost about $60. While these titles guarantee hours and hours of fun, it’s easy to understand why some people would rather wait for the Steam sale or any other discounted offer.

But others would instead take another route: Piracy. You can get your favorite video game for free, but what are the hidden costs of downloading a game through illegal means?

Game Developers Might Be Aware

Technology today can be utilized by the opposing sides in the issue of game piracy. While some upload game files and share them through torrenting, game developers use technology to determine whether a copy was legally acquired or not.

One way companies protect their content is through digital rights management (DRM). Even if you do have a copy of the game, DRM can restrict your access to it. Games with DRM have code designed to prevent pirated copies from adequately running.

There are even cases wherein game developers trick players into thinking that nothing is wrong with their pirated copies — only to find out that the game automatically deletes your saved data in the end.

Putting Your Device at Risk

Perhaps the most significant reason why others don’t want to pirate any content is the fear of malware. You cannot trust any user when it comes to illegal content. Some are working with authorities to track down torrent users. Others include software that uses your computer to mine cryptocurrency.

Even if you read comments about other users rating a pirated copy, you still won’t know until you get it yourself. And it might be too late when you do. Once you click on a shady installer file, malware can go through your computer — deleting files and affecting its overall performance.

Getting a VPN for Steam gamesdoes nothing if you got them through illegal means. Malware does not need to go through your encrypted browsing activities since you are directly downloading the files.

Losing Access to Online Features

Game developers and publishers can also punish you by stopping you from going online. This does not mean you won’t have access to the Internet. Instead, you will no longer get entry to online services. If you have a console, this could mean getting banned from Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.

You’d think that developers are afraid of losing players, but they would instead protect their property. Back in 2009, almost one million people were banned from Xbox Live for using pirated video games.

Piracy is a huge deal, especially for independent game developers who need all the financial support they can get. If you badly want a video game, consider getting the trial version or waiting for a promo.